


What Best Friends Are For

by DesertVixen



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Best Friend Bonding, Gen, Post-Descendants 2, Wedding Plans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 00:11:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15158219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/pseuds/DesertVixen
Summary: Evie gives Mal a hand





	What Best Friends Are For

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Maidenjedi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maidenjedi/gifts).



The wedding was quickly making Mal feel like escaping to the Isle.

People kept saying how lucky she was, but Mal didn’t feel lucky. 

She felt overwhelmed, crushed under the weight of expectations. Ben seemed to not even notice the weight – much, she supposed, like he wouldn’t notice the air he breathed. He had always lived with those expectations, had always known he would be King. He had even found a way to surpass expectations, to make Auradon something more impressive than it already was.

She had never dreamed she would be the Queen of Auradon. Her mother had dreamed the big dreams for herself, not for Mal. If she had dreamed of anything, it had been simply having the ability to live life as she wanted. She had wanted to make a life where she could protect the people she cared about and have fun. Despite her artwork, she hadn’t been all that interested in evil, but Mal refused to bow down just because someone said so.

Growing up on the Isle had not prepared her for Auradon society. Deep down, she knew that she would always be fighting perception, that people would always see her as her mother’s daughter. People would always be waiting for her to make a mistake.

That was why she needed Evie.

Not that Evie didn’t have it in her to be wicked – she had a ruthless streak of practicality – but she was more at home in Auradon. She had made her own place, and no formal event was complete without her or the formal gowns she designed. Auradon didn’t require her to hide her softer side, didn’t penalize her for having feelings. Evie would always fight against perception as well, but her mother’s crimes hadn’t been as bad as Maleficent trying to overthrow the entire kingdom. Perhaps Snow White and her kids wouldn’t invite Evie to bring some apple pie over, but she was generally well-accepted and liked.

Mal didn’t just need Evie to design her an incredible wedding dress straight out of a fairy tale, but she was definitely hoping she would. Evie would have solid advice on how to keep her bridesmaid count down to a semblance of reasonable. Evie would know how to gracefully acknowledge all of the crazy things people were doing. More than that, Evie would actually enjoy dealing with some of it.

Evie would keep her from losing her mind.

\---- ----

“The problem is that it’s not just your wedding,” Evie said as she sank down into her favorite chair. “It’s a major Auradon event. It’s a symbol of the improving relations with the Isle. You and Ben are symbols.”

“We’re people,” Mal said in frustration.

“Some of my favorite people,” Evie agreed. “But you have to be a symbol. You’re the kid from the Isle who chose Auradon, who faced down Maleficent, who chose to be good.” Evie smiled as Mal started pacing.

“So how do I become a symbol?”

“Well, you’re not going to dye your hair that washed out blonde again,” Evie said sharply. “You’re going to be yourself.”

“I thought I had to be a symbol.” Mal glared at Evie. Somehow, her best friend was not living up to her end of the bargain and helping her stay sane. In fact, Evie seemed to have succumbed to the same frenzy as everyone else.

“You’re not going to change everything to do it,” Evie said calmly. “You’re going to do what they want and expect, but you’re not surrendering to Auradon. You’re going to combine both and look fabulous doing it.”

Mal grabbed the folder of pictures off her desk and dumped them on Evie’s lap. “I’m not going to look fabulous in any of these.”

Evie examined the fancy dresses in the pictures. Each one was fluffy, flouncy, lacy, overdone. “No, you’re not. That’s why I’m going to design something perfect for you.”

\---- ----

Three months later, Mal stood in front of the mirror in Evie’s studio, having a flashback to another dress – one of her attempts to be what she thought people wanted her to be, the hideous yellow and blue gown.

This dress was not hideous. It was a gorgeous column of ivory satin that draped her body from her shoulders into a gentle bell of a skirt with a heavy train. The hem of the skirt and the train were edged in luscious deep purple velvet. The trim shape flattered her figure more than a fluffy ballgown would have done, and she loved the shock of the purple.

“Well?” Evie said expectantly as Mal twisted to see herself in the mirror.

“I love it! It’s different. It’s…”

“It’s you,” Evie said with satisfaction. “I think Ben will love it too.” She hadn’t shown him the dress of course, but she had given him a few choice details so he could get Mal the perfect wedding gift. “I’m picturing an all-ivory bouquet with ribbons to match the hem, and maybe one purple accent flower. Traditional on the veil, with a jeweled headpiece.”

“What about my too-many bridesmaids?” Evie had been able to help her trim down some of the really complicated aspects of the wedding, but the number of attendants had actually grown. The majority of Auradon’s young royals would be represented on either side, as well as Mal’s closest friends.

“Dark blue with full skirts and spaghetti straps, with gold sashes. Auradon colors, to match the uniforms all of the guys are wearing.”

Mal wasn’t looking forward to dealing with Audrey or Chad, but she would survive the experience. She was looking forward to seeing Jay in the uniform. 

And Ben. 

There were other questions on Evie’s list, but Mal let them roll over her, not really paying attention. 

What she was really looking forward to was seeing Ben at the end of that impossibly long aisle. The question of who would walk Mal down the aisle had been one of the complicated questions – Mal didn’t even know who her father was, and there was really no one who fit the traditional bill. She didn’t want to be escorted by Ben’s father, or the Fairy Godmother, or some random noble. 

Instead, she had chosen her own symbol. She would walk up the aisle with Jay, and Carlos, and Evie.

They had come from the Isle together, and they would take this step together.

Not just her symbol, Mal realized after a second. It would be their symbol.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! I wanted to do something focused on Evie's strengths, and that would be fashion. (Except for that hideous yellow dress in Descendants 2...) I really like their friendship, so it was fun to do something with it.


End file.
